Prime Minister John Key has welcomed the news that the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey movie will be held in Wellington on Wednesday 28 November 2012.

“This is fantastic news for Wellington and the country. It will be a real crowd pleaser as we welcome the movie’s stars back for another landmark event,” Mr Key says.

“Wellington has shown it’s a great place to hold a world premiere as it did for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003, when around 120,000 people lined the city’s streets to salute the filmmakers and stars.

“The Government has actively supported the filming of The Hobbit movies in New Zealand because of the enormous economic benefits they’re bringing to the country, including the creation of around 3000 jobs,” Mr Key says.

“On 28 November, New Zealand will again be in the spotlight of the world’s entertainment media, and that combined with the release of The Hobbit movies will give us the opportunity to further raise our tourism profile worldwide,” Mr Key says.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first of the two Hobbit movies by Academy Award-winning New Zealand director Sir Peter Jackson.